Fox Valley Subsection Meetings (Spring 2002)

12 MARCH 2002 (TUESDAY), 6PM - 9PM at IIT Rice Campus

Title: Configurable Electronic LogBook

Speaker: Gary Roediger, Fermilab and Corporate Computer Services

Abstract:
As in many scientific research projects involving hundreds of scientists, the needs of each project and special types of multimedia logbook entries can not be fully anticipated. What is needed is an extensible architecture (object oriented design), a truly platform independent implementation (Java), a configurable logbook (XML based), and a storage representation of the entry objects in a form that will persist over time and application (XML). The Control Room Logbook (CRL) architecture will be discussed as well as a demonstration given.

About the Speaker:
Gary Roediger has been an independent computer consultant for 23 years. He has worked in research and application environments in various organizations including Argonne National Laboratories, Bell Laboratories Forward Looking Work, and recently at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratories. He has worked on advanced switching systems, supercomputers, packet switching of voice, video, and data, and most recently a control room logbook for use in High Energy Physics projects. He is currently studying intelligent agent technology to extend the logbook to a intelligent searchable collaborative notebook.

Time: (see top of page for directions to IIT Rice Campus)
6 PM: soda, coffee, and cookies
7 PM: technical presentation

Sponsorship
-----------
IEEE's Fox Valley Subsection,
Illinois Institute of Technology's Center for Professional Development (Rice Campus), Rice Student Association, and the UniForum.

10 APRIL 2002 (WEDNESDAY), 6PM - 9PM at IIT Rice Campus

Title: Nanotechnology: The Quest for Magnetic Electronics

Speaker: Samuel D. Bader, Senior Physicist at Argonne National Laboratory.

Abstract:
Argonne National Laboratory has proposed the creation of a major nanoscience/nanotechnology center. The Center would welcome outside users and would enable a new generation of cross-disciplinary advances, including the quest for magnetic electronics (the first commercial products are expected to be MRAMs from Motorola and IBM). The talk will outline the plans for the Center and highlight the background and recent research advances associated with magnetic electronics.

About the Speaker:
Samuel D. Bader is Senior Physicist and Group Leader of the Magnetic Films Group in the Materials Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory. He was recently appointed Director of the proposed Center for Nanoscale Materials at Argonne. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, and is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Vacuum Society.

Sponsors:
IEEE Fox Valley Subsection, AP/MTT Chapter, and Reliability Chapter and by Illinois Institute of Technology's Center for Professional Development, Rice Campus, and Rice Student Association.

12 APRIL 2002 (FRIDAY), 7PM - 9PM at IIT Rice Campus

Title: The Open Source Revolution

Speaker: Eric S. Raymond, author of "The Cathedral and the Bazaar"

Abstract:
Eric will talk about `The Open Source Revolution' with five possible modules. He does whichever of these modules the audience tells him it wants in the time available: (a) the bazaar development model (b) socio-anthropology of hacker customs (c) open source economics and business models (d) effective open-source advocacy (e) a long strange trip report (my life as an accidental revolutionary)

About the Speaker:
Eric S. Raymond is an observer-participant anthropologist in the Internet hacker culture. His research has helped explain the decentralized open-source model of software development that has proven so effective in the evolution of the Inter net. His own software projects include one of the Internet's most widely-used email transport programs. Mr. Raymond is also a science fiction fan, a musician, an activist for the First and Second Amendments, and a martial artist with a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. His home page is at https://www.tuxedo.org/~esr.

Sponsorship:
Meeting Co-Sponsored by:
UniForum Chicago
The Fox Valley subsection of the IEEE
The IIT Center for Professional Development
The IIT Rice Campus Student Association

Time: 7-9 pm (see top of page for directions to IIT Rice Campus)

All UniForum Chicago general meetings are open to the public free of charge. Contact Scott Nemec at (630) 990-6265 or nemec@xnet.com for additional information.

23 APRIL 2002 (TUESDAY), 7PM - 9PM at IIT Rice Campus

Title: Linux and Embedded Operating Systems

Speaker: Bill Latura of Ondeo-Nalco

Abstract:
A great deal has been happening in the world of embedded operating systems recently, and Linux is a significant player in this arena. Embedded operating systems are used in everything from set-top boxes, hand-held PDA's and industrial controllers to cell phones and the Hubble Space Telescope.

To get a handle on what this all means, this talk will address such questions as:

• What is an embedded operating system?
• What is it used for?
• What makes for a good embedded OS?
• Who are the big players in embedded OS's?
• What's the difference between a real time operating system and an embedded operating system?
• What is a real time operating system?
• What is it about Linux that makes it a good choice to build an embedded operating system from?
• What development and testing tools are available?
• Where and why is embedded Linux currently being used?
• What resources for further information are available?

Bill's first exposure to Linux was in the pre-1.0 kernel days of 1993. He's been a Red Hat fan since summer '95, though he has also worked with the SuSE, Slackware, Yggradrasil and Caldera distributions. Bill has been the Treasurer of UniForum Chicago for the past six years.

Sponsorship:
Meeting Co-Sponsored by:
UniForum Chicago
The Fox Valley subsection of the IEEE
The IIT Center for Professional Development
The IIT Rice Campus Student Association

Time: 7-9 pm (see top of page for directions to IIT Rice Campus)

All UniForum Chicago general meetings are open to the public free of charge. Contact Scott Nemec at (630) 990-6265 or nemec@xnet.com for additional information.

21 MAY 2002 (TUESDAY), 6PM - 9PM at IIT Rice Campus

Title: If Software is So Easy to Create, Why is it So Difficult to Evolve?

Speaker: William F. Opdyke, Associate Professor of Computer Science, North Central College.

Abstract:
At a time when it it easier than ever to rapidly create software, incorporating new features into an existing software system has remained stubbornly difficult and expensive. Why is this the case, and what can be done about it? We will begin with a very brief "team exercise" where participants take on the roles of software project managers. Then, we will discuss two major issues that add complexity and costs in changing a software system. We will discuss how some individuals and organizations have successfully addressed these issues. We close with "lessons learned" that apply more generally to technology introduction and organizational change.

About the Speaker:
William F. Opdyke has spent most of his career focusing on issues related to software evolution and the complexities of designing and developing communications software. He was a feature topic/ guest editor of the October, 2001 issue of IEEE Communications ("Evolving Communications Software: Techniques and Technologies"). After a twenty year career at Bell Labs (AT&T/Lucent Technologies), he recently transitioned to his current position as associate professor of computer science at North Central College (Naperville, Illinois).

Sponsorship
IEEE's Fox Valley Subsection and Joint Chapter on Engineering Management and Professional Communication, Illinois Institute of Technology's Center for Professional Development (Rice Campus), Rice Student Association, and the UniForum.

Time: (see top of page for directions to IIT Rice Campus)
6:00 PM Social
7:00 PM Presentation

Reservations:
Please call the IEEE Business Office at (800) 898-IEEE to make your reservation.

23 MAY 2002 (THURSDAY), A Tour of Fermilab (optional dinner follows tour)

YOU'RE INVITED TO TOUR THE FERMI NATIONAL ACCELERATOR LAB ON MAY 23rd, 2002.

The IEEE Chicago Section, our Fox Valley Sub-Section, and our Joint Chapter on Engineering Management and Professional Communication, in conjunction with the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) invite you to a guided tour to show you some of the world-class research being done at Fermilab.

Please note the following restrictions based on Fermilab's current security rules:

• Send e-mail to AEE's Steve Krstulovich with the name(s) of each prospective visitor no later than May 20th, 2002 so you may be cleared ahead of time; but try to notify Steve earlier so Fermilab can arrange for a sufficient number of guides.
• Note: Since the dinner (at a cost of $ 25 per person) will be optional, those who plan to attend the dinner should also advise Steve by May 20th.
• Visitors can enter (and leave) only via Fermilab's west gate on Kirk Road at Pine Street (look for the steel arch).

In summary: Send Steve email indicating 1) the names of each person in your party and 2) how many of those will be staying for the dinner. And please do it before the May 20th deadline.

Another site with information on this event is at www.energyengineers.org/fermilab.htm. If you need directions, please see the map and instructions available at https://www.fnal.gov/pub/visiting/index.html.

Tentative Schedule:

• 6:00 pm Welcome to Fermilab - Jane Monhart, Fermi Area Manager, DOE
• 6:10 pm Steve Krstulovich (Fermilab) - Introduction with wine and cheese
• 6:30 pm Nancy Lanning (Fermilab) will serve as our tour guide, with the assistance of several docents
• 7:30 pm Dinner
  • Note: Due to the prevailing construction at Fermilab there may be a last-minute need to have this dinner at an off-site location (to be announced)

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